Akervinda: "Förgänglighet" (Vanguard Music Boulevard VMBCD 125)
Rating: *****
Featuring: Iris Bergcrantz, Agnes Åhlund, Linda Bergström, Lise Kroner
Recorded and mixed by Björn Lindberg at Rabbit Hole Studios (Malmo, Sweden)
Photos: Nadja Hallström
Design: Agnes Ahlund and Nathalie Hedim
Invigorating, enchanting and ethereal Nordic folk-singing in one of the most haunting releases I've heard in years! The tunes on this CD are derived from traditional Scandinavian folk tunes, arranged and performed by the brilliant "a cappella" Swedish quartet.
Åkervinda shares a deep love of folk music, and give new life to the Scandinavian folk tunes in their original and modern interpretations. The group’s name is inspired by a Swedish wildflower whose roots spread far and wide like rivers under the ground. Like the flower, gracefully entwining melodies, rock solid groove, and ever intriguing harmonies will take root in your mind. Like the flower, they will be impossible to remove.
In July 2019 Åkervinda made their TV debut in the famous Swedish TV show Allsång på Skansen in SVT. The spring prior Åkervinda released their second album 'Förgänglighet’, which later received a nomination for a Swedish Grammis in the category “Folk music of the year”. Förgänglighet - the passing of life - is a tribute to all the things that withers away and a celebration of life in summer as well as autumn. Like so many storytellers and artists before them, Åkervinda carries tales of women throughout the ages, embodied in a visual musical live performance.
Åkervinda was formed in 2013 at Skurups Folkhögskola with Iris Bergcrantz, Lise Kroner, Agnes Åhlund and former member Hanna Grahm. They released Åkervinda’s first album Kära Mor in 2014. Hanna later left the group and Linda Bergström joined just when they were to compete in Aarhus Vocal Festival, where they won the The Honor Reward for Best Arrangement and came 2nd place in the competition.
Since then the group have been touring in the US and Canada, singing at various festivals in France, Luxemburg, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and the UK. Åkervinda’s music has been requested and praised in both the folk music-, jazz- and a cappella scene and has been heard in venues and festivals such as Shambala Festival (UK), London A Cappella Festival (UK), Festival de la Voix de Châteauroux (FR), Copenhagen Jazz Festival (DE) and Linköping Folkmusikfestival (SE). Åkervinda has collaborated with musicians and groups such as The Swingles (UK), Nordic (SE), Jaron Freeman-Fox (CA), Solala (SE) and Spöket i köket (SE) and their unique arrangements have been sung by choirs and vocal groups all over the world.
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